The federal district court for the Eastern District of Washington vacated a finding of no significant impact issued under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by the U.S. Forest Service for a timber treatment project in the Colville National Forest. The court found that “the maps identifying areas for commercial timber harvesting are too vague to ensure a hard look at the impact of harvesting and public comment.” The court rejected the plaintiff’s other arguments. The decision did not explicitly address the complaint’s allegations regarding the Forest Service’s failure to take a hard look at the project’s impacts on climate change and the potential impacts of climate change on the project.

Challenge to the U.S. Forest Service’s decisions to proceed with a project that would open 36,400 acres of the Colville National Forest to commercial logging, pre-commercial logging, and burning.

Alliance for the Wild Rockies v. U.S. Forest Service

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Washington Federal Court Said “Too Vague” Maps for Timber Treatment Project Did Not Meet NEPA Hard Look Requirement

Filed

United States of America

Washington

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Washington Federal Court Said “Too Vague” Maps for Timber Treatment Project Did Not Meet NEPA Hard Look Requirement

Policy instrument

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance